Southampton City Council
Councillors:
51
Wards:
17
Committees:
23
Meetings (2025):
154
Meetings (2024):
93
Meeting
Children and Families Scrutiny Panel - Southampton
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Thursday, 30th January 2025
5:30 PM
Thursday, 30th January 2025
5:30 PM
End:
Thursday, 30th January 2025
9:30 PM
Thursday, 30th January 2025
9:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
30 Jan 2025
30 Jan 2025
Location:
Conference Room 3 - Civic Centre
Conference Room 3 - Civic Centre
Meeting Attendees
Officer
Steph Murray
Expected
Officer
Team Manager, People
Stuart Webb
Expected
Secretary
Democratic Support Officer
Ed Grimshaw
Expected
Committee Member
Appointed - OSMC
Rob Sanders
Church of England
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Catherine Hobbs
Roman Catholic Church
Apologies
Officer
Executive Director - Wellbeing (Children and Learning)
Robert Henderson
Expected
Agenda
6
Minutes of the Previous Meeting (including matters arising)
To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 28 November 2024 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.
Attachments:
- Document Minutes of Previous Meeting 22 Jan 2025
Minutes
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.
7
Children's Social Care Update: Aiming Higher, Family Safeguarding and Budget Update
Report of the Deputy Director for Children's Social Care outlining how Southampton’s Children and Learning Service is sustaining good practice and outstanding leadership and is progressing with the implementation of the Family Safeguarding Model.
Attachments:
- Document Children's Social Care Update: Aiming Higher, Family Safeguarding and Budget Update 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 1 - Aiming Higher, Family Safeguarding, Budget presentation.pdf 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 2 - Service Delivery Plans.pdf 22 Jan 2025
Minutes
The Panel considered the report of the Deputy Director for Children's Social Care outlining how Southampton’s Children and Learning Service is sustaining good practice and outstanding leadership and is progressing with the implementation of the Family Safeguarding Model.
Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Steph Murray - Deputy Director Children’s Social Care and Laura Trevett - Strategic Performance Manager were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed the following:
· The services ambition to aim higher than the rating of good accredited to the service by Ofsted following the last inspection. The Panel were briefed on:
a. innovations with user involvement including the Young Researcher and Young Inspector programme;
b. the possibilities of engaging AI in the service; and the potential for increased engagement with the NHS
· The role out of the Family Safeguarding model was explored by the Panel. It was noted that the service was still yet to be fully staffed but that early indications were that the approach was leading to improved outcomes; and
· Whether the forthcoming budget would affect the ability of Children’s Services and Learning to deliver the ambitions outlined within the Aiming Higher programme.
RESOLVED
1. That a progress report on the Aiming Higher programme and social care reforms is scheduled in the 2025/26 Children and Families Scrutiny Panel work programme.
2. That a briefing on the localities and integrated working pilot is shared with the Panel when details are confirmed.
3. That the findings from the audit commissioned from Hertfordshire County Council on Southampton’s Family Safeguarding Service is circulated to the Panel when available.
Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Steph Murray - Deputy Director Children’s Social Care and Laura Trevett - Strategic Performance Manager were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed the following:
· The services ambition to aim higher than the rating of good accredited to the service by Ofsted following the last inspection. The Panel were briefed on:
a. innovations with user involvement including the Young Researcher and Young Inspector programme;
b. the possibilities of engaging AI in the service; and the potential for increased engagement with the NHS
· The role out of the Family Safeguarding model was explored by the Panel. It was noted that the service was still yet to be fully staffed but that early indications were that the approach was leading to improved outcomes; and
· Whether the forthcoming budget would affect the ability of Children’s Services and Learning to deliver the ambitions outlined within the Aiming Higher programme.
RESOLVED
1. That a progress report on the Aiming Higher programme and social care reforms is scheduled in the 2025/26 Children and Families Scrutiny Panel work programme.
2. That a briefing on the localities and integrated working pilot is shared with the Panel when details are confirmed.
3. That the findings from the audit commissioned from Hertfordshire County Council on Southampton’s Family Safeguarding Service is circulated to the Panel when available.
8
Children and Learning - Performance and Transformation
Report of the Scrutiny Manager recommending that the Panel consider and challenge the performance of Children’s Services and Learning in Southampton.
Attachments:
- Document Children and Learning - Performance and Transformation 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 1 - Summary of performance and commentary January 2025.pdf 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 2 - Children and Families Glossary updated 2023.docx 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 3 - Scrutiny briefing on S.20 arrangements.pdf 22 Jan 2025
Minutes
The Panel considered and noted the report of the Scrutiny Manager recommending that the Panel consider and challenge the performance of Children’s Services and Learning in Southampton.
Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Steph Murray- Deputy Director Children’s Social Care and Laura Trevett- Strategic Performance Manager were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed a number of positive points set out in the paper including:
· The decreasing number of children in unregulated settings;
· The Increasing continuity of social workers for children looked after and on course to meet targets;
· The embedding of good social work practice
In addition the Panel explored concerns over:
· The rise in re-referrals;
· The levels of supervision performance noting that this appeared to be lower than expected;
· The rising number of children with safeguarding services recorded as Children in Need and with a Child Protection Plan. It was noted that this reflected national trends but that the City appeared to be preforming better than its comparators.
The Panel also discussed progress with regards to the opening of the new SCC run children’s homes.
Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Steph Murray- Deputy Director Children’s Social Care and Laura Trevett- Strategic Performance Manager were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed a number of positive points set out in the paper including:
· The decreasing number of children in unregulated settings;
· The Increasing continuity of social workers for children looked after and on course to meet targets;
· The embedding of good social work practice
In addition the Panel explored concerns over:
· The rise in re-referrals;
· The levels of supervision performance noting that this appeared to be lower than expected;
· The rising number of children with safeguarding services recorded as Children in Need and with a Child Protection Plan. It was noted that this reflected national trends but that the City appeared to be preforming better than its comparators.
The Panel also discussed progress with regards to the opening of the new SCC run children’s homes.
9
Monitoring Scrutiny Recommendations
Report of the Scrutiny Manager recommending that the Panel considers the responses to recommendations from previous meetings and provides feedback.
Attachments:
- Document Monitoring Scrutiny Recommendations 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 1 - Monitoring Appendix.docx 22 Jan 2025
- Document Appendix 2 - Position Statement Young Carers.docx 22 Jan 2025
Minutes
The Panel considered and noted the report of the Scrutiny Manager recommending that the Panel considers the responses to recommendations from previous meetings and provides feedback.
Bryn Roberts – Service Manager for Inclusion was in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed the position statement on Young Carers in particular:
· How the numbers of young carers had been underestimated and why they had not been identified;
· Whether the service had the capacity to deliver the service objectives;
· What was being done to assist young carers that had left school;
· Levels of support to reduce those not in education employment or training.
Bryn Roberts – Service Manager for Inclusion was in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.
The Panel discussed the position statement on Young Carers in particular:
· How the numbers of young carers had been underestimated and why they had not been identified;
· Whether the service had the capacity to deliver the service objectives;
· What was being done to assist young carers that had left school;
· Levels of support to reduce those not in education employment or training.
Previous Meetings
Future Meetings
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